The semi-circular ground gear has been in development for some time by Hampidjan’s Norwegian subsidiary Mørenot Fishery. The company presented this Flow Gear at the IceFish exhibition in September, where it attracted plenty of interest for its greater efficiency compared to conventional rockhoppers, both in terms of better catch rates and reduced towing resistance.
Hampiðjan has now applied for a patent on this innovative fishing gear that uses semi-circular sections made in plastic instead of conventional heavy rockhopper discs. This gear is reported to be flexible, and able to absorb shocks, so it doesn’t suffer damage in the same way as if steel were used for the sections.
Testing has shown that water flow over the semi-circle design increases water velocity toward the centre of the trawl’s swept area, effectively guiding fish into the trawl and resulting in higher catches.
The Flow Gear is made of semi-circular sections reinforced with steel contact surfaces. It has a gentler impact on the seabed and the reduced towing resistance saves fuel and increases catch per towing hour.
Extensive sea trials have shown that the increase in catch efficiency can be as high as 40-50% and the gear copes more effectively with fasteners, slipping easily over even large rocks on hard grounds. Feedback from the initial prototypes is being analyses to identify further improvements.
‘This new technology is an important milestone in developing environmentally friendly solutions for the fishing industry,’ said Hampiðjan CEO Hjörtur Erlendsson.
‘With the Flow Gear footropes, we’re not only improving fishing efficiency but also significantly reducing seabed impact and reducing the carbon footprint. This is a positive step forward for the future and for fishing companies looking to increase efficiency responsibly.’
